The recent announcement of the EBU has catapulted the atmosphere to a kind of shock status. Due to the fact that the Russian singer Julia Samoilova has been performing in the annexed Crimea recently, she is not allowed to enter Ukraine anymore. This has been officially confirmed by the EBU as they have to accept the local laws of the host country.

The recent announcement of the EBU has catapulted the atmosphere to a kind of shock status. Due to the fact that the Russian singer Julia Samoilova has been performing in the annexed Crimea recently, she is not allowed to enter Ukraine anymore. This has been officially confirmed by the EBU as they have to accept the local laws of the host country.

The entire situation was a bit weird from the beginning. Normally, politics should have no place at Eurovision, but now it has reached the contest in a very unpleasant way. As one of the last countries Russia has announced the singer Julia Samoilova with the song “Flame Is Burning” in the mid of March. The handicapped singer is having a wheelchair. It all appeared like a mean trick by the Russians misusing an innocent girl sending her with a weak song to Eurovision, because the slogan of the Ukrainian event is called “Celebrate Diversity”. In this context it was believed that nobody has the right to jeer at the Russian entry in Kiev, as this young and lovely girl has a handicap. This booing has happened before with the Tolmachevy Sisters in Copenhagen.

Furthermore, the Russians knew that Julia has been performing at the Crimea lately and they knew that there is this special travel ban for Russian citizens who have visited the Crimea. The travel ban lasts for three years normally. The discussions went crazy in the social media and fan platforms. Everybody believed that the Ukraine is going to make an exception for Julia. But it seems to be no exception and we have a kind of scandal now.

Many people asked, is it right to host a Eurovision Song Contest in a country which is actually not in peace? How is to rectify if on the one side people are dying and rockets are flying and on the other side a big party is going to happen under the slogan “Celebrate Diversity”, just 800 km far away?

About me: As one of the founders of eurovisionlive.com I am responsible for the interviews with the singers and the editorial content. My passion for the Eurovision Song Contest exists since my early childhood. The exotic music, different cultures and languages have given a lot of inspiration to me. Since my very first ESC in Dublin 1994 I particularly appreciate the get together and friendship of all the nationalities and Riverdance was a thrill!